Sweet Scent
by xStarfirex
Summary: AU. Richard Grayson has problems and is trying desperately to solve them. He meets a girl who is very similar to him but, he has a girlfriend and she's engaged. The road to love was bumpier than he thought. RichKor all the way
1. Memories

**A/N **hey everyone! This is one story I just had to write! Hope you like it!

**Sweet Scent  
****Chapter: 1**

**Memories  
****By: xStarfirex**

Richard Grayson stood by his bedroom window, looking out on the horizon and admiring the natural beauty of Jump City as the sun begins to rise.

"Master Richard, you have a meeting with Master Bruce at Wayne Enterprises," said Alfred as he entered Richard's room.

"Ok, thanks Alfred."

"And may I remind you that you have a date with Miss Summer."

"Yes, Alfred, I know."

Richard went to his bathroom and got ready for the meeting.

"Master Richard, are you ready yet? Your meeting begins in twenty minutes" said Alfred as he waited by the door.

"Ok, ok, I'm ready, let's go," said Richard as he ran down the stairs. They were in downtown Jump City in approximately ten minutes. Richard looked out his tinted window and saw the entrance of Wayne Enterprises just as the car came to a halt.

"We have arrived at Wayne Enterprises, Master Richard," announced Alfred.

"Thanks, Alfred. Oh and don't pick me up after the meeting, I think I'll just walk to the restaurant where me and Summer will have lunch."

"Alright, Master Richard."

Richard got out of the car and turned to see Wayne Enterprises. _'I'm only twenty-one, I don't care about Wayne Enterprises, I just wanna get through school and find the girl of my dreams, and get away from Jump City, is that so hard to do?'_ Richard thought as he sheepishly walked to the door.

Richard sat through the two-hour meeting and he wasn't even paying attention. The meeting finally ended and Richard was the first to walk out the door. But as he was walking through the door, Bruce stopped him.

"Did you get all that, Richard?" he asked him.

"Yeah, I got it, Bruce."

"Really? Then what were we discussing then?"

"The meeting was about…….um…….stuff…."

"Pay attention, Richard."

"_Pay attention, Richard"_ he quietly mimicked.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Better be the last nothing."

"Yeah, whatever."

Bruce was about to leave when he slapped a paper on Richard's muscular chest. Richard took it and looked at it.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Your next assignment, enjoy," and with that Bruce left.

"Your next assignment is to find Kam Anders and bring her in. Kam Anders is suspected to be an armed guns dealer who is selling Wayne Enterprises out. She has a criminal record of stealing zinothium. She has served five years in the federal state penitentiary and is a suspect for the murder of her brother, Ryan Anders. She intends to buy Wayne Enterprises and will not give up until she has it. Your job is to find out why she wants Wayne Enterprises and to stop her dirty act," Richard read. A picture of Kam Anders was paper clipped to the paper. She had black hair and violet eyes (A/N I'm really not sure what color Blackfire's eyes are, but let's just leave it at violet). Richard looked at his watch.

"Oh crap, I'm gonna be late for my date." He stuffed the paper and picture in his pocket and ran out the door.

He put his hands in his pockets and walked casually down the street. The restaurant was a few blocks from Wayne Enterprises. He could easily walk there. He was about to turn to the next corner when someone bumped into him. They both fell to the floor. Richard regained composure and helped the person that bumped into him up. They were both standing and Richard realized he had bumped into a girl no older than twenty. She had auburn red hair and beautiful green eyes that could make any guy melt. What Richard liked the most about her was her sweet scent. She smelled like plumerias that were freshly picked (A/N the plumeria is the national flower of Hawaii). She was wearing a floral skirt that reached her knees and a blue v-neck tank top that showed some cleavage. Richard turned a tint of pink when he looked down at her tank top, but the girl didn't seem to notice. She had a scared look on her face.

"I am so sorry, I didn't watch where I was going," she apologized.

"Oh no, it's ok, I didn't watch where _I _was going. Are you ok?" Richard asked.

"I am ok, mostly."

"What's wrong?"

Then as if on que, a guy came running towards them.

"No one breaks up with Johnny Rancid (A/N sorry, like I had any other choice), I'm the richest man alive!" said the man who was running towards them and the girl immediately hid behind Richard.

"What happened?" Richard asked her.

"My ex-boyfriend. He won't take the breakup seriously and he threatened to hurt me if I didn't get back with him," she explained and Richard nodded solemnly.

"Yo dude, quit hogging my girlfriend and give her back to me!" _Johnny Rancid_ yelled at Richard.

"Sorry, I believe your _"girlfriend"_ doesn't like you anymore," Richard told him.

"You're Richard Grayson, aren't you? You think you're such a know-it-all showoff who can have any girl he pleases. Well you can't have mine!"

"She's not yours. She's not some kind of toy you can just play with and forget about. She has feeling too."

"Well, I don't care about her feelings! I care about mine! And right now, I'm getting pretty pissed!"

"That suits the greediest man alive. You may not care about her feelings, but I do. Oh and by the way, my adoptive father is the richest man alive." And with that, Richard grabbed the girl's hand and led her away from the maniac.

"Thank you so much for doing that, I don't know how I could ever repay you," she thanked him.

"No problem," Richard said.

"I know, I'll take you out to lunch, it's on me. By the way, my name is Kory Anders."

"Nice to meet you, Kory, I'm Richard Grayson, and there's really no need to take me out for lunch."

"Oh but I must insist, I've been blessed by my guardian angel who had you come along to save me. Please?" Richard could see Kory was pouting and couldn't take it. He _had_ to give in.

"Ok," he answered and Kory's face lit up.

"I know the perfect place." She grabbed his hand and signaled for a taxi. In seconds, a taxi came and took them to the other side of town.

"Island Beach Restaurant," Kory announced when they got out of the taxi. She led him inside and got a table for two.

The restaurant was overlooking the horizon. It was a beautiful view. Kory and Richard stared at it with awe for a few minutes. They ordered their food and, with nothing else to do, tried to make conversation. Richard couldn't help but wonder where he had seen her before. She looked awfully familiar. And there's something about her name that should ring a bell. But he couldn't put his finger on it so he decided to let it slip for now.

"So, Kory, tell me about yourself," Richard asked, breaking the silence.

"Well, I was born in New York and grew up here in Jump City. I'm twenty years old and I'm just trying to make some money to pay for college. Me and my family moved here to Jump City when I was four in hopes of making a better life for us. But my dad was always away on trips and would always leave me, my sister, and my brother to do whatever we wanted. He didn't really care about us, I finally figured that out after all these years. When my arm broke when I was eight, he didn't care. He just paid the hospital bill and left. At times, he would always lock us in our rooms and never give us dinner. My mother, however, left us when I was three. She left us for a drunken bastard who she thought she loved because he got her pregnant…again. I never saw her since. My sister, she's crazy. She's practically never at home. She's always away with her friends doing God knows what. She always had failing grades and would have a different boyfriend every month. She would also always criticize me that I couldn't be as "perfect" as she was. I haven't seen her in over a year now. And my brother, Ryan, he was so sweet. He was three years younger than me and in any bad situation, he would assure me that everything would turn out alright. He looked up to me. I was his hero. We were the only decent members of the family. We were so close. During Christmas, he and I would always buy each other gifts. No one else gave me Christmas gifts but him. I loved him so much. Then, last month, he died because someone murdered him. I miss him so much! Now I live in a small apartment that I have a hard time keeping up with the rent. But, I still look on the bright side of everything, I never give up because I know one day, it will all be worth it." After finishing her life story, Kory broke down into tears.

"It's ok," Richard said and hugged her. His arms were around her, trying their best to comfort her and stop her from crying. Richard never wanted to see her cry again. Something about her tears gets to him. _'I don't get it. Why do I get this tingly feeling when I touch her? It's like I never want to let her go. It's like I can stay like this forever. But I can't. I have a girlfriend. I have Summer'_ Richard thought. But as he said his girlfriend's name in his mind, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes. Could his feelings for Summer change? No……they couldn't……..they wouldn't…….they shouldn't………but will they?

Richard and Kory stayed in each other's arms for a few minutes. Richard comforting Kory, and Kory crying on Richard's shoulder.

After lunch, Kory had managed to stop crying and ask Richard _his_ life story.

"Well, I was born in Gotham City and raised here in Jump City. I'm twenty-one years old. Both of my parents died when I was still young. My brother and I were left in the care of my aunt and uncle. They always had us doing their dirty work. We weren't even allowed to go back outside after 6pm. They didn't even buy us decent clothes. Then, one day, my aunt made me go to the supermarket and buy a few things. She gave me little money at the time. When I was on my way back home, I heard fire trucks and smelled smoke. I panicked and ran to the house. What I saw there was what I never imagined would happen. My home was on fire. The firemen told me that my aunt and uncle didn't survive the fire, but my brother……..they told me that he wasn't in the house. I searched the ruins for my brother, but I never saw him. He and I always wore the necklace mom and dad gave us," said Richard, as he held up a necklace that was around his neck, it was the symbol of yin and yang. He had the white part on, "We never took it off. After the incident, I ran into the woods and cried. I don't remember how long I cried, but I knew it was long. I lived under the Gotham City bridge with the other homeless people. It was a winter I would never forget. It was cold and I was trying to make a fire in a trash can. I was starving so badly that it drove me insane. And one night, I couldn't take it anymore. I went to someone's mansion and did the unthinkable. I tried to steal food from them. Then, as I was trying to break the window, someone saw me. And they asked me what my name was and if my parents knew what I was doing. I told him I had no parents and that I was homeless. He must've had pity for me, because that man was Bruce Wayne, the guy who took me into his home and called me his adoptive son. I was happy, but I still needed my brother. Bruce told me he had left Gotham and had gone somewhere in California. So me and Bruce moved to Jump City in hopes of finding my brother. It's been fourteen years since I last saw him. Still no luck. Now here I am, just living a regular life. Well almost. Girls always ask for my autograph and teen people magazine even dubbed me as 'hottest bachelor to ever live'. I even got an award. But, I'm not really interested in being famous. I never expected any of this to happen. Actually, I can live without this. I just wanna get through school, find the love of my life, find my long-lost brother, and get hell out of here. That's all I want and that's all I need."

Kory had tears forming in her eyes. It was such a touching life story.

"Oh no, don't cry," said Richard.

"I can't help it," she said. And yet again, she cried. And yet again, Richard was there to comfort her.

It was now 4pm when Richard realized he had missed his date with Summer.

"I have to be going now, thanks for lunch," said Richard as he got up.

"Oh no, thank _you_ for saving me. It was nice meeting you, Richard," said Kory.

"Nice meeting you too," Richard took one last sniff of her sweet scent and left the restaurant.

Just as he exited the door, his cell phone rang.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Baby! Where were you? You didn't show up for our date! I waited and waited but you never came! I was sitting there, like a fool, who was waiting for her boyfriend to buy her lunch! You stood me up!" screamed a girl on the other line.

"Sorry, Summer, I was busy."

"Busy with what?"

"Busy making money so you can spend it all at the mall," he lied while rolling his eyes.

"Oh that I so sweet! I forgive you. Keep up the good work, baby. And as a treat, I'll take you out to dinner. Be at my place at 7. Talk to ya later, hon. Bye!" and Summer hung up.

Richard sighed and took one last look at Kory inside the restaurant before he got into the taxi. _'I will always remember your sweet scent. I hope fate brings us together once more. Till we meet again, Kory Anders'_.

**To Be Continued…**

**A/N **wow…that took me a while to write. I am **so **sorry I haven't updated my other stories, I've been really busy. I have another story I'm planning to publish. But I **have** to finish my other stories. I'm really sorry. Anyway, how did you like this story? Will Richard ever see Kory again? Will he ever find his long lost brother? And what will happen to Summer? Plz review! And don't forget to check out my other stories! Till next time…

xStarfirex


	2. Changed Feelings

**A/N **your reviews inspired me to write this next chapter! Thank you so much for your reviews, remember I'm open for more!

**Review Replies**

**yuskefan- **Richard Grayson is Robin and of course there'll be more. Thanx for reviewing!

**locket101- **Was is _that_ intense? Anyway, thanx for reviewing!

**Destinys-Desire- **thanx for the support and for reviewing!

**AvePlateada-** I promise this is a love story worth reading. I have big plans for the later chapters. Thanx for reviewing!

**sTaRfIrExrObIn- **Glad you like the story. Thanx for reviewing!

**TheQueenofSerpents**- glad you love it. Here's the next chapter and thanx for reviewing!

**StarfireAngel55-** Summer sucks big time huh? Thanx for the support and thanx for reviewing!

**LIGHTFIRE GRAYSON-** wow….I'm really glad you like it. Thanx for reviewing!

**LiStEn To YoUr HeArT- **Summer is in a lot of people's stories now huh? This was supposed to be a review, but I really like your story 'Where the heart is', update that soon. Anyway, thanx for the support and for reviewing!

**iluvrobbie- **Summer is a little like Kitten huh? Johnny Rancid **isn't** Kory's fiancé. They broke up remember. You'll be surprised who it is. And it's nice to meet a reviewer who LOVES plumerias like I do. Anyway, thanx for the support and the review!

**jade- **I'm so happy you like my story! You rock! You're an awesome reviewer! You've reviewed on a lot of my stories! This chapter is for you! Hope you like it and thanx for reviewing!

**happymonkey**- I guess Summer is Kitten, depends on how you look at it. Thanx for reviewing!

**lil**- hey thanx for reviewing! I could try to do betta, doesn't hurt. And sorry if u like robrae pairings and I dislike them. Sorry. I know TTs not an anime, but no one else has to know rite? And I really don't know why ppl spell Kory "Kori", they didn't research their real name spelling I guess. Well hope you like this chappie!

**chloe- **maybe I'll put your idea on the story and by the way, Starfire's name _is_ spelled Kory. I researched it on the internet before I started this fic. But thanx for reviewing!

So on with the story!

**Sweet Scent  
****Chapter: 2**

**Changed Feelings  
****By: xStarfirex**

Richard listened to his ipod nano in the back seat of the car. Alfred was dropping him off at Summer's house. Summer lived in a townhouse on the other side of town.

"We have arrived, Master Richard," announced Alfred as soon as they reached a tan colored building.

"See ya later, Alfred," said Richard as he got out and Alfred drove away.

"Baby!" yelled an annoying but girlish high-pitched voice of a female. She wore a black mini skirt, a matching halter top, and matching high-heels.

"Hey Summer," Richard said in a monotone voice, as if he wasn't very excited to see his girlfriend. He wore jeans, a blue polo, a leather jacket, and converse sneakers.

"Ok, so I, like, picked this perfect restaurant we could have a romantic dinner at."

"Um…ok."

"Come on, it's, like, only a few blocks away, let's walk there."

"Yeah, whatever."

They were walking on the sidewalk. Summer was going to take Richard's hand to hold on to, but Richard immediately put his hands in his pockets. They arrived at the restaurant in just five minutes. Richard was a little surprised she chose _that _restaurant. There were so many other restaurants to choose from, why did she have to choose _that_?

"Here we are! I love this restaurant! Island Beach Restaurant!" announced Summer.

"Déjà vu," Richard quietly said to himself.

"Your waiter or _waitress_ will serve you in a minute," said the lady who seated them.

"Yeah I know," said Summer impatiently.

"Baby, its cold," complained Summer, as soon as the lady left.

"Why didn't you bring a jacket?" asked Richard.

"I didn't think I would be, like, _this_ cold."

"Too bad then."

"Aren't you going to offer me your comfortable leather jacket like other nice boys?"

"Hmm…….I'm actually comfortable in this jacket, so…….no."

"Hmph!"

In a few minutes, their waiter or _waitress_ came. The person who served them shocked Richard. It was someone he'd least expect.

"Good evening, I'll be your waitress tonight. What drinks would you like? And would you like to start out with some appetizers?" asked the waitress.

Richard didn't look up, but he knew that sweet scent anywhere.

"Kory?" said Richard.

"Richard?" said Kory.

"Who is this?" asked an impatient Summer.

"Summer this is Kory, my friend, Kory this is Summer, my girlfriend," said Richard.

"Hi. Nice to meet you," said Kory, holding out her hand.

"Yeah, sure, whatever, so are you going to take our orders or what?" asked Summer.

"Summer!" Richard gave her a 'be nice' glare.

"What? How did you meet her anyway?" she asked.

"I met her this morning, we bumped into each other and sort of became friends," Richard explained. Summer gave Kory a mean look and examined her, head to toe.

"She's _ok_, but not as perfect as me," bragged Summer. Richard rolled his eyes and began talking to Kory.

"So, what are you doing here, Kory?" asked Richard.

"I work here. I get lunch here for free cuz I'm the assistant manager/waitress," Kory explained.

"No wonder they never gave us the check earlier."

"Correct."

"What check? And what _"us"_?" questioned Summer.

"Well, Kory and I had lunch here earlier," explained Richard.

"Lunch? You two had lunch here? Together? Without me? Alone? That's why you missed our lunch date? You _had_ to have lunch with this tramp?" yelled Summer and pointing to the innocent Kory.

"Kory, can you come back in a few minutes?" asked Richard and Kory simply nodded and walked off.

"She's **not **a tramp. She's my friend and I have every right to have lunch with anyone I want," said Richard.

"Who says you have a right to have lunch with anyone you want? Ever hear of 'girlfriend's permission'? That means you don't get to have lunch with anyone else unless I approve!" argued Summer.

"I don't need your approval. Ever hear of 'Civilian's rights'? That means I have the right to do anything I want. I can go out of town without you. I can stay up with my friends, partying at clubs without you. I can also have lunch with anyone, **without you**."

Summer was now fuming. She threw down her napkin and ran outside. Who cares what she does next?

Kory was only a few feet from Richard. She had heard every word they said. Richard stood up for Kory. Twice now. What was happening? Kory silently smiled and inside she knew she had met a true best friend. She walked towards Richard.

"Are you ok?" she asked him.

"I'm fine, but I bet she's not," Richard responded.

"Why don't you go after her and make up?"

"Because I don't want to. I don't know why, but something inside me is saying that I don't love her as much as I used to. This is a new feeling for me and I don't know what to do." Kory sat down where Summer was sitting and took Richard's hands. He was a little surprised at first, but the feeling soon faded.

"Listen to your heart, wherever it takes you. People's feelings change over time and that's normal. It just means that she wasn't the right girl. Who knows? Maybe the right girl is someone you'd least expect," said Kory. _'Wise words. Maybe it is someone I least expect. But who?'_ Richard thought to himself.

"You must be hungry, I'll get you something to eat," said Kory and in a few minutes came back with a platter.

"Thank you, but why are you doing this for me?" questioned Richard.

"Because that's what friends do. They help each other."

"Thank you, _best_ friend," and with that Richard ate his platter while Kory was smiling. She was happy to be called 'best friend'. Especially by someone she'd met this morning.

Richard lay in his bed, tossing and turning. It was now 11pm and he couldn't sleep. His mind kept flashbacking into the events that happened earlier in the restaurant. He sat up and sighed. _'I have to get my thoughts straight'_ he thought. Then he changed into jeans, a black shirt, and his black leather jacket. He decided to take a walk and clear his mind. He walked towards Jump City Park and with every step he took, he pictured Kory in his mind. He loved her sweet scent. Come to think about it, he loved her smile, her hair, her eyes, everything that made her _her. 'Why do I get so nervous around her? Why am I trying to impress her? Why did I disrespect Summer? Why is it that whenever I'm around her, I feel complete? NO! I met this morning, that can't be! Is it love? Maybe it was love at first sight? I'm sure this feeling with eventually fade'_ Richard thought as he made his way to the swings. But he was wrong, oh how he was wrong.

He sat on one of the swings. He swung himself a little and started thinking some more. _'Last year, I met Summer at the beach. She was practicing her surfing skills, boy did she SUCK! I arrived there just on time to see her wipeout. I waited for her head to pop out of the water. When it didn't, I panicked. I just jumped into the water and swam after her. I pulled her on shore and did a mouth-to-mouth. When she opened her eyes, I just instantly fell in love with her. Now, it's as if I don't love her anymore. Kory told me she might not be the one. Maybe she's right' _as Richard was thinking this, the image of Kory's face popped into his mind, _'Maybe I love………'_ but his thoughts were interrupted by a gust of wind carrying chills down his spine. He checked his watch and it read 11:40am. He had been thinking for a little over half an hour.

**Flashback**

Richard had just arrived at the beach. He was wearing swimming trunks with flames at the bottom. He had no idea why he was at the beach. But lately, he had been having this feeling he should come. He looked on the horizon and caught glimpse of a beautiful blonde headed girl with blue eyes. She was surfing on quite a large wave. After a few minutes, she fell off. Richard's eyes went wide as he waited for her head to pop out of the water. He waited for about three minutes and, without thinking, jumped into the water. He searched for her body and finally found it gradually sinking to the bottom. He swam after her and brought her on shore. When her eyes wouldn't open, he did a mouth-to-mouth. She recovered consciousness and looked up to see a slick black spiky-headed boy with blue eyes. She smiled at him and he smiled back. She sat up and asked what had happened.

"You were drowning," Richard said. Who knew three words can make a girl panic?

"I was? Oh my god! Thank you so much for saving me!" I girl said.

"No problem."

"By the way, my name is Summer Kitten Moth."

"Kitten?"

"Yeah, my middle name. My father nicknamed me Kitten for some I-don't-care reason. Hey, haven't I seen you somewhere?"

"Yeah, I'm Richard Grayson."

"Grayson……oh right! You're the heir to the Wayne Enterprises, I remember you! I always see you on tv."

"Yup, that's me."

"Hey, it's, like, really hot, wanna get something to drink?"

"Sure."

'_Summer Kitten Moth……what a ……..unique name. She has blue eyes, too. (sigh) I wish she'd have emerald eyes though. I would totally fall for a girl with green eyes. She actually looks kinda……cute. I mean……she looks…….hot……get a grip, Richard! She probably already has a boyfriend. I mean she's so pretty and all that it's probably hard for her to stay single. Why do I suddenly have interest in knowing if she has a boyfriend or not? What is wrong with me?'_ Richard thought as they walked to a small bar. They ordered their drinks and tried to make conversation.

"So what's it like being famous?" Summer suddenly asked.

"Well, the paparazzi follow you everywhere, it gets pretty annoying," he responded.

"Do you like being famous?"

"Not really. I mean sometimes popularity has its rewards."

"Like what?"

"Like discounts on every single thing I buy."

"Must be great."

"Yeah, but I really don't need all this money. And plus, I only have three wishes in life."

"What are they?"

"I wanna finish school, find the girl of my dreams, and get away from Jump City. Maybe go back to Gotham where I was born."

"Girl of your dreams?"

"Yeah. I wanna find love." _'And I think I already found her'_ Robin thought as he gazed upon Summer.

"What a coincidence, I'm trying to find a boyfriend too, my ex broke up with me to be with some slut."

"Oh."

"Yeah, so I thought the beach might be a good place to look."

"Hey, do you wanna go have lunch sometime?"

"You mean like a date?"

"Well, you could say that, I guess."

"Ok, I'll go on a date with you, Richard Grayson."

Words couldn't express the feeling Richard felt at that exact moment. For the remainder of the day, he got ready for his big date with Summer. She had given him her address so he would pick her up.

**7pm**

Richard took his silver Ferrari to Summer's place on the other side of town. At exactly 7pm, Richard picked her up. She wore a black spaghetti strap dress.

"Where are you, like, taking me, Richard?" Summer asked.

"Somewhere. You'll see."

Twenty minutes later, they were in front of Stargazer restaurant (A/N you may have noticed in most of my stories, this restaurant is always there. Sorry about that, I just love that restaurant).

"Stargazer? But this place is impossible to get in unless you make a reservation a day before, **and** the prices are high!" said Summer in astonishment.

"I'm Richard Grayson, remember"

When they got in the restaurant, paparazzi immediately took pictures of them. They were seated by the window with an ocean view. Even though it was night, they can still see the bay and the full moon.

For the next two hours, they ate, talked, and laughed. Richard dropped her off at her house and guess what…they have another date.

Richard got home at around 10pm. He was exhausted. He even scored her phone number and email address.

"_What a day! I met a hot girl at the beach and even went on a date with her! All in one day! I'm the luckiest guy on earth. Maybe I should take her to the movies on our next date" _Richard silently thought to himself.

Guess what…they actually did go to the movies for their next date. Richard even scored a kiss…on the lips! It was official, they were a couple. Magazines had a picture of them kissing with headlines like 'Sorry girls, but Richard Grayson is taken!', 'Richest Bachelor makes his move', or 'Could this be the girl Richard has wanted all along?' Summer and Richard didn't care one bit about the headlines, all they knew is that they were in love. Every weekend they would go out. They never had a week where they didn't see each other. No! That was impossible for them. They even went to New York for a week to celebrate their 1st anniversary as boyfriend/girlfriend. Richard was overjoyed. Love was the only thing he wanted out of life. And he found it. He vowed to himself to love her, day and night.

**End Flashback**

It was now 12:30am and Richard was still on the swings. His thoughts were interrupted by a smell. Actually more like perfume.

"That sweet scent just follows me everyone, doesn't it?" Richard whispered to himself.

"Hi Kory," he said out loud, not even looking up.

Kory came out of the bushes.

"Hey Richard, fancy seeing you here. How did you know it was me?" Kory asked.

"Easy," he simply said.

Kory sat on the swing next to him and began rocking herself.

"What are you doing here so late at night?" Richard asked.

"Actually, it's morning. I woke up and I couldn't fall asleep again, so many thoughts ran through my mind. I thought I might take a walk in the park," Kory said.

"It's dangerous to be out her alone at night."

"I know, but I've only done it a couple of times. What are _you_ doing here?"

"Same as you, I had a lot on my mind."

"Like what?"

"Summer."

"Are you having seconds thoughts about your relationship?"

"Maybe, I don't know. I was thinking if I should breakup with her or not."

"Listen to your heart," Kory reminded him. Richard smiled and swung himself a little higher.

"_I'm listening, but my heart is beating to fast and loud for me to hear anything."_ Richard thought to himself. He looked over at Kory, who didn't seem to notice. She was lost in her thoughts. What Richard didn't know was that Kory was thinking the exact same thing. She was also thinking about Richard.

**To be continued…**

**A/N** that was kinda short for me. Hoped you liked it! I am soooo sorry I couldn't update sooner, my comp had a virus. I'll try to update faster now. Don't forget to review!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

xStarfirex


	3. Kam Anders

**A/N** hope you had a great Christmas!

**Review Replies**

**locket101- **is that a good 'aw'?

**StarrGoddess- **I'm trying to make Summer resemble Kitten. I know they don't act alike much but just bear with me here.

**TheQueenofSerpents-** glad you loved it!

**AvePlateada****-** it's ok if you forgot about this fic. I didn't update in a really long time. And trust me, this _is_ love story to remember.

**Jeanniestorm****- **glad you like it, there's more to come.

**blank- **I'm updating!

**lil- **Summer should resemble Kitten and I know this is only the second chapter, but Richard and Kory haven't really fallen for each other…yet. They're just good friends. Well maybe it was love at first sight with Richard…but, above all, they're just good friends.

Thanks for your reviews everyone! I'm kinda disappointed that I only got a few reviews, it might be cuz I haven't updated in a while so you people forgot about this fic. So PLEASE review!

**Sweet Scent  
****Chapter: 3**

**Kam Anders  
****By: xStarfirex**

Richard and Kory sat on the swings deep in thought. It was 1am and it turned freezing cold.

"I should probably get going, I have work in about seven hours," said Kory as she stood up. Richard stood up with her.

"I'll walk you home," Richard offered.

"Ok," she accepted.

They walked out of the park.

"Where do you live?" he asked.

"Just a couple of blocks away."

They crossed the street.

"So, what do you do for a living?" he asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"I do many things. I work at Island Beach Restaurant, Starbucks from time to time, I'm a sales associate at Tilly's, and sometimes work in a flower shop, but what I really want to do is be a fashion designer. I want to be able create my own fashion line, I wanna see people wear my creations, I wanna be famous and actually make loads of money," she answered.

"You have a good dream, I wish you good luck on your road to fame."

"Thanks, I really need it. You remind me of my brother, he always supports me."

"I'm your best friend. That's what I do best."

"So what do _you_ do for a living?"

"Nothing. Bruce makes all the money at Wayne Enterprises and he gives me ¼ of his profit every week. He always tells me, someday that empire will be mine and I will make all the money in the world. But what's the use of money if you have no one to share it with? I'd rather have the love of my life than money!"

"True, but for me, I want both. I really need the money."

"I can give you some," Richard offered.

"Oh no, I don't take money, I'm not a freeloader."

"But you need it way more than I do."

"I don't take anyone's money, I earn my own."

"Alright. Just let me know whenever you need anything, even money, I'm the guy to call."

"I'll keep that in mind."

They crossed another street.

Richard looked at his watch and it read 1:30.

"My apartment is on the next block," said Kory.

"Ok."

"Do you know how to get back from there?"

"Of course."

"Just making sure."

With nothing to talk about, they walked in silence until they reached Kory's apartment.

"This is my place, do you wanna come in?" Kory asked as she unlocked her front door.

"Sure."

They went inside. The living room is the room where the front door was, on the left was the kitchen and dining. There was a small staircase in the living room. Upstairs was one bedroom and bathroom. There was a balcony in the living room. It was quite large for one person to live in. Depending on how you look at it actually.

"Do you live here alone?" Richard asked after he had a tour.

"Yes," Kory replied.

"Nice place."

"Thanks."

_Bark! Bark! Bark!_

"What was that?" asked Richard, looking around frantically.

"Don't worry it's my puppy, Cinnamon. She's only two months old. She's harmless." Kory held up her small white terrier puppy, who was half asleep. Richard smiled.

"Do you want some coffee? OJ? Hot cocoa?" asked Kory.

"No thanks, I'm fine."

Richard walked to a table with photographs on it. He carefully examined each one. There was one of Kory and her family. Another had Kory and her mom. The next one had Kory and her puppy. Finally there was Kory and Ryan.

"Is this your brother?" Richard asked, holding up the picture.

"Yes, that is Ryan."

Richard picked up the photo of Kory and her family.

"We were a happy family…when my mother was a part of it," said Kory. She walked to Richard.

"That's my sister, she was my dad's favorite," explained Kory, pointing to a back-haired girl at the middle of the picture.

'_She looks strangely familiar, where have I seen her before?'_ Richard thought.

"That's my brother, he was fun to hang around with," she pointed at a red headed boy with spiky-hair.

"That's my mother, she was nice, she tried her hardest to keep the family together, finally one day, she gave up and left us," she pointed to a woman with black hair.

"And that's my father," she pointed to a mean looking man with red hair, "he never loved his children, he sorta respected my sister though."

Richard turned his head and saw Kory with tears in her eyes as she tried desperately to hold them back.

"It's ok," said Richard in hopes of comforting her. He pulled her into a hug and Kory cried silently on his shoulder.

"Forget about the past and look to the future. You have many surprises that lie ahead," he said.

_Ring. Ring._

"Excuse me, I believe that is _one_ surprise" said Kory as she pulled away from the hug and answered her phone.

"Hello?" she said into the receiver as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"What! That cant' be!"

"Why today?"

"So?"

"Why?"

"O-Ok, I will try."

"Y-Yes."

She hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" Richard asked.

"My sister wants to meet you. She is asking if you can come over for dinner later at around 7," answered Kory, leaving out the part where her sister has been spying on her this whole time and that she knows where she lives, even after a year of no communication.

"Sure, I'll be here at 7."

"Good."

"Well, I'll see you later."

"Till then." Kory escorted Richard to the front door.

"Bye," said Kory as she closed her door.

Richard took out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Alfred? Can you pick me up?" he spoke into the receiver.

"Thanks."

He closed his phone and put it back in his pocket. He looked at his Rolex Watch and it read 3:00.

"An all-nighter, just what I needed," sarcastically said Richard to himself.

**

* * *

Richard put on jeans, a blue shirt, a gray sweater, and black converse. He put on cologne and spiked his hair. Since it was only 6:00, he sat on his bed watching some tv. He looked towards the window and saw a paper with the title 'Wayne Enterprises' on his nightstand. He picked it up. **

"_My assignment! I totally forgot all about it! Let's reread it. Your next assignment….Kam Anders….blah blah blah….suspect for the murder…..brother…..RYAN ANDERS!"_

"_I loved him so much. Then, last month, he died because someone murdered him. I miss him so much!" _Richard remembered Kory say that the day before.

"_Holy crap! No way!"_ Richard examined the photo of Kam and took out a pair of handcuffs and a small gun and put it in his pocket. _"This is all too real."_ Richard ran out the door.

Kory was in her kitchen when she heard the doorbell. She opened her door and there stood Richard with a bouquet of roses.

"Thank you," she said as he handed them to her.

"So what's for dinner?" asked Richard as he took of his sweater.

"Pasta. It's one of my specialties."

"Smells good."

"Thanks. Why are you here early anyway? It's only 6:30."

"Couldn't help myself."

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang again.

"My sister can be a little picky, but if she says something and it's not true, denying it would only cause argument, **please** be nice, she is a little…..well…..paranoid," said Kory as she whispered the last word, hoping her sister won't hear from the other side of the door.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she won't argue with the heir to Wayne Enterprises," assured Richard.

"_Especially when she intends to buy my company" _he thought in his mind.

"Sister!" yelled a girl. Richard turned around to see a black-haired girl with violet eyes.

"_That's her. That's Kam Anders" _Richard quietly thought.

"Richard, this is my sister, Kam, the girl I have been talking about," said Kory as she introduced the two.

"Richard Grayson! You're the heir to Wayne Enterprises! I've seen you many times on tv. So how's the company?" Kam asked when she reached out her hand.

"Company's great. Making lots of money. But there _is_ a **minor** problem. Someone unknown is trying to buy the company. Due to our Truckloads of profit, **we** will succeed," said Richard, emphasizing the 'minor' and 'we'.

"What facts make you believe that you will succeed?" asked Kam as smoothly as she could.

"My father is Bruce Wayne, the owner of Wayne Enterprises. He would NEVER let the company slip into the wrong hands."

"And that's all the facts you need?"

"That's all that facts I need."

"I believe it is dinner time. I have made pasta," announced Kory.

"Pasta. My favorite," said Richard.

The dining table had enough for four people to sit at. Richard sat at the right and Kory sat next to him. Kam sat right in front of Richard.

"Kam, tell me about your brother," said Richard. Kam was eating her food and her eyes went wide.

"Um….well…..Ryan….was a caring guy. He was sweet and nice. Everyone loved him. But unfortunately, he died too early because someone killed him. I don't believe he was murdered though, I believe it was suicide," explained Kam.

"Oh really? Why is that?"

"They really have no 'evidence' of him ever being murdered."

'_Then what do you call the gun found at the scene of the crime? It had **your **strand of hair on it.' _Richard thought

"Well a gun was found at the scene of the crime," he said.

"He must have shot himself."

"Not possible. Why would anyone, particularly him, take their life. No gun was there the day before the killing."

"He must have bought it the next day, when he decided to kill himself."

"Still not possible. He didn't have enough money for one."

"Maybe he had a loan," yelled Kam. She was getting pissed at the situation, that someone, particularly Richard Grayson, was arguing with her….and getting suspicious.

"He doesn't do loans," said Richard firmly, giving Kam a glare.

"Look, just because I'm a suspect doesn't mean I did it!" yelled Kam. She grabbed the plate and threw it against the kitchen wall. She ran outside and never came back in.

"Damn! I almost had her!" yelled Richard.

"Richard? What was happening?" asked Kory, quite confused.

"Kory, your sister, Kam, well…..she……she murdered your brother…….we have been trying to arrest her but she keeps changing her location. I finally got her, but she got away once again. She's also…..a guns dealer…..she's a bad person, Kory."

"Kam would never do anything like that. Even if she _was_ paranoid."

"Kory, believe me. She's not your sister, she's a wanted criminal."

Kory stayed silent. She was speechless.

"I just don't understand why she would do something like that," said Kory after twenty minutes of silence.

"I know it's a real shocker to you, but don't worry, we'll get through it."

"Thank you," said Kory and pulled Richard into a hug, "thanks for being there for me."

"No problem."

_Ring. Ring._

"Must be another surprise," said Kory as she got up to answer her phone.

"Hello?" Kory said into the receiver.

"_Kory, it's me,"_ said an unknown voice. Richard could hardly hear a thing.

"Oh hey! How are you?"

"_I'm great! Sorry I've been away too long, I promise as soon as I get back, I'll take you out to dinner."_

"Really? Well, I hope you come back soon then."

"_I heard you made friends with Richard Grayson aka Hottest Bachelor to ever live."_

"Yes I did make friends with him."

"_Is he cool? Is he as good looking as me?"_

"Stop bragging!" there was light chuckle on the other line, "well, come to think about it, he looks a little like you."

"_Seriously?"_

"Yeah!"

"_I wanna meet him. My flight back to Jump City is tomorrow. All three of us will go out to dinner."_

"Ok, if you say so."

"_Great. Tell him to meet us at Olive Garden on Broadway."_

"Ok, see ya tomorrow. Bye!"

"_Bye."_

Kory put down her phone.

"Who was that?" Richard asked.

"Someone wants to meet you. We'll meet at Olive Garden in Broadway, can you come?" Kory asked.

"Of course."

"Great, see ya there then!"

* * *

Richard stood outside Olive Garden. He waited for Kory and this person who wanted to meet him. He saw in a distance that two shadowy figures came near him. One of them had a curvy body, must be Kory, and the other was a guy. He had good posture so he must be a business man.

'_Please don't let it be another guy who wants to buy my company,'_ Richard thought to himself.

The he noticed Kory and the guy were holding hands. Richard was curious to see who that guy was. They came nearer and nearer until they finally face to face.

"Hello, Richard Grayson," said the man and Richard gasped.

**To be continued…**

**A/N** Oooo who's that mysterious guy? Sorry to leave you hanging. I actually finished this chapter ahead of time! I hoped you liked it. Hey does anyone have myspace? And…

**Have a Safe and Happy New Year!**

xStarfirex


	4. The Fiance

**A/N **I'm too predictable… anyway, I'm so sorry I haven't updated since last year. Please forgive me! I'm more into my "To Have and To Hold" fanfic right now. SORRY! Anyway, thank you for the reviews and for supporting my fanfic despite my laziness to update.

**strodgfrgf**- sorry I couldn't update any sooner!

**Erica**- I'm working on the chapters. They'll hopefully be up soon.

**FallenTeenHearts**- Cliffies is what I do best. lol. So glad you like my fic.

**Kor Anders**- You're an awesome reviewer! I'm so glad you like my fanfics!

**Dedication: Kor Anders because she has reviewed for more than one of my fanfics. You rock!**

**Sweet Scent  
****Chapter: 4**

**The Fiancé  
****By: xStarfirex**

"Richard, this is Roy Harper, my fiancé," said Kory introducing the two. Richard's eyes went wide.

'_Oh my god she has a fiancé!'_ he thought.

"So this is the oh-so-famous Richard Grayson," commented Roy.

"Uh…yes," said Richard.

"I heard you're company was going through a few problems."

"You heard right."

"Well, let's not stand out here in the cold, our seat is ready."

Roy put an arm around Kory and went inside. Richard stood for a moment, staring at the couple ahead of him. He still couldn't believe she had a fiancé……..who looks strangely like him, except for the red hair and that it wasn't spiked like his. He finally snapped out of his thoughts and ran to catch up with Roy and Kory.

They were seated near the window. Richard looked at Roy and Kory, who sat in front of him.

'_Roy Harper huh? I wonder how him and Kory met' _Richard thought.

"Richard, tell me how you and my fiancé met," urged Roy.

"Huh? Oh, sure. I met her yesterday, she was-" Before Richard could even begin his story, Kory decided to tell it herself.

"I was on my way to Gelson's Supermarket when my ex, Johnny, you remember him right?"

"Yeah, I saved you from that bastard a year ago," said Roy, "please continue."

"Johnny blocked my way and he pleaded me to go back to him. I said no and he started chasing me. I ran to the corner and bumped into Richard. He defended me and Johnny backed off. I took him out for lunch to repay him," Kory explained.

"Oh," Roy said as if he approved her story.

"So Roy, how did you meet Kory?" asked Richard.

"Well, I was browsing at some store, I forgot the name of it though, and Kory and I bumped into each other because we were both about to pick up these nice looking pair of shoes. DC shoes, am I right? Anyway, I turned to look at her and I fell instantly in love. She had the most beautiful emerald eyes and her ruby-red hair matched her complexion. I stared at her for a few seconds and then out of nowhere I heard Jonny scream 'Get away from her, you loser'. I turned around and he was about to punch me but I dodged it. Kory tried to explain everything to him, but he wouldn't listen so I fought him and I ended up winning. Clearly, he didn't know who I was. Anyway, I was lucky enough to get Kory's number and after a few weeks, I had the courage to ask her out. That's when she broke up with Johnny, who was in the hospital," Roy explained.

"Your stories sound so much alike, I'm sorry for causing all the trouble," Kory said.

"Oh no, it's ok, I'm used to saving girls," Richard joked. Kory smiled and felt a little better.

"It's not your fault, honey, don't worry about it," assured Roy. The waiter came with their food and they started eating.

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

"I'm so sorry, I have to take this call. Excuse me," Roy said and got up from the table as he took his cell phone out of his pocket and went outside.

"Roy's always away on business trips. What do you expect from a businessman? I bet that call is from his office in Gotham," Kory explained.

"Gotham?" Richard questioned.

"Yes, he has a company in Gotham. They are currently working on a breakthrough. It's top secret, though."

"Oh, I see."

"Richard, I know this is really off topic, but, just out of curiosity, Summer… how did you meet her?" There was a pause as Richard thought.

"I met her at the beach," Richard said, not bothering to go into detail.

"Oh, must have been romantic."

"You could say that." Looking back now, Richard _knew_ it was far from romantic.

"What's your most missed memory?" Kory asked totally off topic.

"Above all, my brother. All these years without a phone call or letter, I'd say him. Man, I can't even remember how he looks like. How about you, what's your most missed memory?" Richard said.

"My brother also. He was my favorite person in the whole world. Before he died, he wrote me a letter. I kept it and read it over and over. It said he knew that something bad was going to happen to him and that if he didn't make it, he wanted to tell me he loved me more than anything, even life itself. The murder proved his suspicions. That was the last letter I got from him," Kory explained.

Richard was speechless. Poor Kory. She has endured the most heart-breaking events in her life. She had more sad events than Richard did. Kory's gone through all this sadness and yet she still smiles. When life gets her down, she manages to get back up. She's so optimistic. And that's what Richard liked about her.

A few minutes later, Roy came back in and rejoined Kory and Richard. He sat down next to Kory.

"I'm so sorry for that interruption, but I have to be going. I have something very important to do. You're welcome to stay. Honey, I'll call you tomorrow, ok," Roy said and kissed Kory before leaving, "Nice meeting you, Richard." He shook Richard's hand. Roy got up and Richard caught a glimpse of something black around his neck. For a second there, Richard thought it was… nah, he was imagining things.

Roy left Richard and Kory there to finish their dinner. Kory was a little disappointed he couldn't stay a little longer.

After dinner, Richard ended up paying for dinner because Kory didn't bring any money because she thought Roy was gonna pay. Kory thanked Richard and they went their separate ways. Was that the end of them?

Richard got picked up by Alfred while Kory walked home. Richard was a little disappointed about the fiancé thing, but he'll live. Once he got home, he started pacing back and forth in his room. Suddenly, the phone rang.

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

"Hello?" Richard answered.

"Ritchie-poo! You never called me to, like, apologize! But that's ok, I forgive you, and to prove my forgiveness, we're going somewhere tomorrow. So come by my place, like, around 10am and we'll get going. Ok, by baby!" Summer said on the other line and hung up before Richard got a chance to say no to her.

Oh great, Richard had another date tomorrow. Richard didn't wanna loose Summer because he knew Kory will never be his. He's afraid he might not find another girl. He had no choice but to go on that stupid date his so-called "girlfriend" was making him go on. Just his luck.

**A/N** OMG, that was so short! I'm sorry I couldn't make it longer, I have other things to do. I hope you guys still like this fic and please review!


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